On a weekend dominated by news that super clubs want to create an elite Snob League, Madrid minnows Rayo provided a glittering riposte.
Teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy raggedy Rayo battered big boys Barca for 50 minutes before gloriously throwing it all away.
Tension was high before and during the game.
Six hours before kick-off, Barcelona bad boys Boixos Nois turned up outside the ground for a fight with Rayo’s Bukaneros. Police said three people were taken to hospital as a result.
One of the sports dailies said that was in response to clashes in Barcelona last season between fans of the two clubs.
But at the game there was no venom of the kind that you could virtually taste last time I was here for the incredible match with Real Madrid five years ago.
Having first visited in 1991, the ground hasn’t changed much. It’s still a dump and was indeed shut earlier this season by the council so repairs could be carried out.
But if you like your seats tubercular and basic and your stadium every-frill-spared – and I do – then it’s still a great old school experience. As far away from Snob League as can be.
With 13,000 season ticket holders, very few tickets were available and the cheapest was 65 euros – prices were jacked up because it was Barcelona.
In the stand a mighty spliff was lit and the smoke drifted over.
Messi was missing but the visiting line-up still looked fearsome.
Early on it looked as if the Catalan club were heading comfortably for a 10-0 rout and the only surprise when the scoring was opened was that it took ten minutes for everyone’s favourite Uruguayan Luis Suarez.
More looked certain as Rayo were unable to control their nerves and looked rattled in every position.
It took fully 30 minutes for the side to find some sort of composure and put together some neat moves. The Rayistas found their voice.
It had been coming – after 35 minutes Pozo from 20 yards looked to have taken the wrong option is shaping up to shoot from distance. He cracked one in and it scraped past Ter Stegen. Pandemonium followed disbelief and
a miracle seemed on the cards and Pique
Who would ever have thought Barcelona – who reinvented and reinvigorated football with their tiki-taka – would turn the tide with long ball?
It was whacked up to Pique in the area. His glancing header was met first-time by Dembele who smashed it home from 15 yards. A goal to gladden the heart of Bobby Gould. But, fair’s fair, the tactic was sensible and the departure of centre half Galvez had left Rayo looking rocky at the back.
The Rayistas got nervous and realised a win was remote. They’d happily settle for a draw but Dembele’s last-minute swirling wonder of cross was impeccably poked in by Suarez for the winner. Dembele baffled all for 35 minutes after he came on for Rafinha but two sublime milliseconds of skill were the key to the victory.
The result was an absolute travesty. But then that, with the details of the Snob League, was the theme of the weekend.
The mongrels bit the majestic mastiffs slumming it in only to fall to the superior skills filthy riches can buy.
But in doing so Rayo proved a point. The hornswoggling corporate bumsuckers seeking to create their hoi polloi-excluding ivory tower mean that matches this, the best games you’ll ever see, won’t be played.
- Thanks to Paul Reidy and Phil Mugford for ensuring a ticket.
Miles from Nowhere 